Improvement in violins for practice



C. F. ALBERT.

vxomns FOB. PRACTICE.

No. 189,677. Patented April 17, 1877.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIOE.

CHARLES F. ALBERT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN VIO LlNS FGR PRACTlCE.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 189,6?7, dated April 17, 1877; application tiled i February 2, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. ALBERT, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Practicing Violins, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to construct, for practicing purposes, a violin. which, as regards its main proportions, is similar to and demands the same manipulation as an ordinary instrument, but the tones of which can be so subdued that they shall not have the injurious efi'ect on the nerves of the performer which is caused by long-continued practice on an ordinary violin. A further object of my invention is to so construct the instrument that it can be folded into a small compass.

1n the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the instrument; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of part of the same 5 Fig. 3, an illustration of the mode of connecting the two parts of the violin together, and Figs. 4 and 5 views illustrating a modification of part of the instrument.

The body of the violin consists of the upper hollow portion A, lower hollow portion B, and connecting-strip D, the usual handle E being secured to the body, and the ordinary finger-board G to the handle.

The lower edge of the portion B of the body should be made on the same curve, and should be of the same thickness as the corresponding part of an ordinary violin, and the same rule-should be observed in making that portion of the body to which the handle is secured. Intermediate portions, however, may be varied in character and dimensions without departing from the main feature of my invention. Care should also be taken to make the handle and finger-board similar in length and other proportion to those of ordinary violins; in other words the instrument should be of such proportions that the performer can perceive no difierence between it and the violin which he uses as a musician, except a difi'erence of appearance and tone, the weight of the instrument, the adjustment of the body to his shoulder, the manipulation of the strings with one hand, and the handling of the bow with the other, being precisely the same with both instruments. The strings too, should be tuned to accord with those of the ordinary violin, so as to determine the proper manipulation of the instrument; the tones, however, are subdued, owing to the limited capacity of the sounding-chambers, but these subdued tones permit the player to practice Without that injury to the nervous system which results from long-continued playing on an ordinary instrument. Learners, moreover, can.

practice without disturbing their neighbors.

A metal bridge, H, has a threaded stem for screwing into the conuectingbar 1), between the two parts of the body, the bridge being thus adjustable, so that the strings may be moved nearer to or farther from the fingerboard, as thefollowing circumstances may suggest.

In learning to play on a violin, the manipulation of the strings demands the active and tiring exercise of the fingers of the left hand.

The nearer the strings are to the fingerboard G the less is the efi'ort required to manipulate the strings; hence the bridge can be so adjusted as to bring the strings near the finger-board when the instrument is used by beginners, but the nearer the strings are to the finger-board the more liable they are to rattle under the action of the bow, and the more imperfect will be the tones; hence, as the learner acquires proficiency in the exercise of his fingers, thefarther may the strings be moved from the board, and this adjustment may be made from time to time until the strings bear the same relation to the board as those of an ordinary violin. There are holes in the two parts A and B of the body of the instrument, and to these are adapted valves 1), on opening which the tones will be increased in volume. It still louder tones are required, a supplementary sounding chamber, I, may be attached to the under side of the connecting-bar I), as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and plain lines in Fig. 2, this chamber being provided with appliances for its ready connection to and disconnection from the instrument.

The same effect may also be produced by forming in the strip D a chamber, w, shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2, and communicating with the chamber B, this chamber w being provided with a valve, by opening or closing which the tones may be increased or diminished. I prefer to make the instrument in two parts, hinged together at :0, Figs. 1 and 3, so that after detaching the strings from the pegs the two parts may be folded together into a small compass, a turn-buckle. m, or other suitable locking device being used for securing the two parts together.

In the modification, Figs. 4 and 5, the device for locking the two parts of the instrument consists of a dovetailed sliding bar, M, adapted to a dovetailed groove in the connecting'bar D. This slide carries the bridge H, and can be moved to such a position as to permit the two parts of the violin to be folded together back to back.

This is preferable to the plan described, for the bridge remains on the upper half instead of the lower half of the instrument when folded, and, therefore, occupies less space than when it projects outward from the lower half.

The slide M can be adjusted longitudinally with the bridge, Without unlocking the two parts of the instrument,'and by this adjustment the strings can be adjusted from or toward the finger-board at pleasure.

In this modification I propose to support the lower ends of the fin ger-board by a strip, m, secured to the connecting-bar D, on each side of the slide M.

I claim as my invention- 1. A practicing-violin, the body of which is composed of two hollow parts, A and B, and a rigid connecting-bar, D, as set forth.

2. The within-described violin-body, having two hollow portions, A and B, provided with valved openings, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the connecting-bar D of the body, with the adjustable bridge H.

4. The violin-body, composed of two parts hinged together, substantially as set forth.-

5. The combination of the violin-body and its connecting-bar D, with the supplementary detachable sounding-chamber I.

6. The combination of the hinged connecting-bar D of the body, with the adjustable locking-slide M and bridge H.

7. The combination of the hollow portion B of the body, with the rigid strip D, having a valved chamber, 10, as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed myname to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OHARLES F. ALBERT.

Witnesses I HERMANN MOESSNER, HARRY SMITH. 

